HP brought a trippy tech museum to a music fest

HP's 'Recline' all-in-ones can be used with the touchscreen hanging off the desk

At this point, all-in-one desktops tend to follow a formula: most of them have a touchscreen, along with an articulating stand so you can use it in tabletop mode, at a near-flat angle. All told, that gives folks a good deal of flexibility, but HP wants to go even further. The company just introduced the "Recline" series of all-in-ones, which incorporate a patent-pending hinge that allows the touchscreen to hang off the table, close to your lap. (Yep, HP's market research team found there are, in fact, people who would prefer to use their all-in-one this way.) Et voilà! That's why this thing is named the Recline: you can position it with the touchscreen half off the desk, and it won't topple over because the PC's center of gravity is halfway between the base and the display.

Available in 23- and 27-inch screen sizes, the Recline will be available with a mix of Haswell processors, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage (sometimes paired with an SSD), a 1GB NVIDIA GT 730A GPU, Beats Audio and 1080p displays. All of the configurations will have 802.11ac WiFi and the Recline 27 in particular adds NFC. As an added bonus, you also get 50GB of free lifetime storage through Box.com. Additionally -- because HP would do something like this -- the company will also sell a special Beats-branded version with a red hinge (pictured above). That version will be available with a 23-inch screen only, and will feature slightly lesser specs (a Core i3 CPU and less RAM to start).

Gallery: HP Recline 23 and 27 | 6 Photos

Otherwise, though, the specs will be the same as on the regular models. The standard 23- and 27-inch models will be available on HP's site tomorrow, September 6th, with the 23-incher starting at $1,349 and the Recline 27 at $1,399 and up. The 23 is also hitting retail stores later this month, at which point you'll be able to find some lesser-specced models for $999 and up. Oh, and if it's the colorful Beats version you're after, that won't ship until November, but we're told it will have a lower starting price of $1,099 in retail, or $1,249 for the specific model to be sold on HP's site.

That's HP's most exciting announcement of the day, but if you're interested, the company also introduced two monitors and a desktop. These include the Pavilion 23tm Touch Monitor, which has 1080p resolution and a stand allowing it to tilt 70 degrees. That will ship next month for $349. The Envy 23 IPS monitor, meanwhile, also has 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, but is being touted more for its thin design and the fact that it has two HDMI ports. That will arrive in November for $249. Finally, HP refreshed its Phoenix 800 gaming desktop with the Phoenix 810, which will rock Haswell processors and new-edition NVIDIA and AMD GPUs. That will go on sale October 16th starting at $1,299.

With an innovative product design, HP's new All-in-One PCs allow users to pivot the touch screen lower and closer, making the interaction more accessible and comfortable.

"Customers have told us that they want touch on their PCs, and at HP we're always looking for ways to improve the experience," said Mike Nash, vice president, Product Management, Consumer PCs and Consumer Solutions, HP. "HP's family of reclining all-in-one PCs offer new ways to stay productive and enjoy immersive experiences such as movies and games with the most natural touch experience available." Immersive touch PCs look great, sound great, feel great

The HP ENVY Recline23 TouchSmart All-in-One PC and HP ENVY Recline27 TouchSmart All-in-One PC, HP's most immersive touchscreen PCs, feature 10-point touch and a revolutionary adjustable design that allows for a more comfortable experience and greater control than ever before.

An HP study revealed that while using touch screens, an overwhelming majority of people preferred their screen in a low and close position for 100 percent of touch-related tasks.(1) The HP ENVY Recline series meets the needs of touch users with a full high-definition (HD)(2) IPS touch screen that responds to all 10 fingers at once, and a unique hinge that allows the screen to be repositioned with ease. The hinge enables the screen to seamlessly move below the table and closer to the lap for a natural touch navigation position, or it can be adjusted upright for traditional use and to watch movies.

Both the HP ENVY Recline23 and HP ENVY Recline27 TouchSmart All-in-One PCs are equipped with 4th-generation Intel® Core™ i-series processors and NVIDIA discrete graphics to help users with the most demanding tasks. The HP ENVY Recline27 also features Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to let users share photos, contacts and URLs with a simple tap.

Additionally, HP is offering a new All-in-One PC with a bold design and premium sound for entertainment and music enthusiasts. The HP ENVY Recline23 TouchSmart All-in-One PC Beats Edition features black and red accents with Beats Audio™ driven dual speakers for the best-sounding, richest audio experience available on a PC.

More information about the new HP ENVY Recline All-in-One PCs is available on The Next Bench.

Affordable touch display is easy on the eyes and the wallet

Optimized for touch navigation, the new HP Pavilion 23tm Touch Monitor provides a comfortable and clear visual experience at a price that is more affordable than many Windows® 8-certified (3) touch monitors. Featuring a 23-inch vivid full-HD touch screen with five-point touch technology, wide viewing angles and an adjustable stand that allows users to tilt the monitor to a 70-degree deep recline position, the HP Pavilion 23tm enriches the computing experience.

HP also announced the HP ENVY 23 IPS Monitor, a sleek, ultrathin monitor with two HDMI ports for connectivity across a variety of devices, including mobile phones and tablets. The monitor also enhances the listening experience with an integrated Beats Audio headphone jack.(4) Additional information about the new touch monitor and tower PC is available on The Next Bench.

Pricing and availability(5)

The HP ENVY Recline23 TouchSmart All-in-One PC with an Intel Core i7processor, 8 GB of memory and two-year limited warranty will be available at hpshopping.com on Sept. 6 for a starting price of $1,349. Other configurations will be available in select retail stores in late September starting at $999.

The HP ENVY Recline23 TouchSmart All-in-One PC Beats Edition with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of memory and a two-year limited warranty will be available at hpshopping.com in November for a starting price of $1,249. Other configurations will be available in select retail stores this fall starting at $1,099.

The HP ENVY Recline27 TouchSmart All-in-One PC will be available Sept. 6 for a starting price of $1,399.

The HP ENVY Phoenix 810 Desktop PC will be available Oct. 16 for a starting price of $1,299.

HP Pavilion 23tm Touch Monitor will be available Oct. 6 for a starting price of $349.

HP ENVY 23 IPS Monitor will be available in November for a starting price of $249.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. With the broadest technology portfolio spanning printing, personal systems, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP delivers solutions for customers' most complex challenges in every region of the world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.

HP ID Research, May 24, 2011.

High-definition (HD) content is required to view high definition images.

Not all features are available in all editions of Windows 8. Systems may require upgraded and/or separately purchased hardware, drivers and/or software to take full advantage of Windows 8 functionality. See http://www.microsoft.com Headphones or speakers required for Beats Audio TM sound and sold separately.

Estimated U.S. street prices. Actual prices may vary. Not all models available in all regions.

Intel and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.